Cigarette dispenser



CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed July l, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f Art/(5W) l Feb. 16, 1943-. c. w. BURGER CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed July l, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Y QW. @JM/:Sav

@fa/www Patented Feb. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE DISPENSER Clarence W. Burger, Arlington, Va.

Application July 1, 1941, Serial No. 400,669

Claims.

My invention relates broadly to dispensing mechanism and more particularly to a novel and simplified construction of cigarette dispenser.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simplified construction of cigarette dispenser capable of being manufactured inexpensively on a quantity production basis.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of Cigarette dispenser which is effective to deliver a single cigarette upon manual operation of the device, while storing a multiplicity of cigarettes in a humidified atmosphere.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a construction of delivery mechanism for a cigarette dispenser which insures the selection of a. single cigarette from a stored group of cigarettes in a position in which it may be readily picked up by the user.

A further object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of coacting delivery and dispensing mechanism for individual cigarettes, in which all tendency of clogging of cigarettes in a storage compartment is eliminated and selected cigarettes delivered from the storage compartment in a position in which the selected cigarette is readilyl picked up by the smoker.

vA still further object of my invention is to provide a coacting arrangement of cigarette delivery and dispensing mechanism in which a selected cigarette may be eliminated by a cam mechanism when it is moved to delivery position to facilitate picking up of the cigarette.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the construction of cigarette delivery and dispensing mechanism as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the cigarette dispenser of my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the cigarette dispenser of Fig. l, showing the cigarette in delivery position and about to be picked up by the smoker; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View through the cigarette dispenser, similar to the view shown in Fig. 2, but illustrating the selection and dispensing mechanism in position about to effect a selection of one of the cigarettes from the storage chamber; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, with certain of the parts illustrated in front elevation; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1 -I of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the humidifier within the storage compartment of the cigarette dispenser; Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing parts of the selector mechanism within the storage compartment, which coact with the rockable dispensing mechanism for effecting delivery of an individual cigarette.

Referring to the drawings in detail reference character I designates the casing or cabinet housing of the cigarette dispenser of my invention, having a contour substantially in the shape of a cash register. The casing or cabinet housing I is mounted on a conforming base 2. A hinged lid or cover 3 is provided on the housing hinged at 4 to enable the lid or cover to be open for the insertion of cigarettes into the storage compartment. The casing or cabinet housing I is secured in any desired manner to the base 2 by such means, for example, as bolts 6 which pass through countersunk apertures in base 2 and engage screw-threaded lugs 5 in diagonally opposite corners of the cabinet housing or casing I.

The cabinet housing or casing I contains a transversely extending angle or stop member 1- forming an abutment for the pivotally mounted transverse bottom of the cigarette storage compartment when the transverse base is shifted to a limited position for retaining the cigarettes in the storage compartment, as shown in Fig. 3.

The transversely extending bottom 8 is provided with depending lugs 9, I0 and I I, as shown more clearly in Fig. 9. A pivoting bar I2 passes transversely through the cabinet housing or casing and through the depending lugs 9 and I0, on the transverse bottom 8 and is secured by heads I4 and I5 in position in the cabinet housing or casing about which the transverse bottom 8 may be rocked. A transversely extending guide bar I6 is secured between the side Walls of the cabinet housing 0r casing I, in a position extending parallel to the front wall of the cabinet housing or casing I and so spaced therefrom as to permit the passage of an individual cigarette in its course of travel to the selector and dispensing mechanism. The transversely extending guide bar I6 has a recess I1, as shown more clearly in Fig. 9, into which the downwardly extending skirt I8 on the transversely disposed bottom 8 projects to form a limiting stop for the transversely extending bottom 8, When the bottom 8 is tilted to the dispensing position illustrated in Fig. 2.

The cabinet housing or casing I includes a front frame I9, the lower portion of which has an inturned upwardly extending edge portion 20 serving as means `for supporting the glass plate 2| forming the front of the cabinet housing or casing A bar or rod member 22 extends transversely adjacent the top of the cabinet for securing the glass plate 2| in position. A transversely extending bar 23 is located adjacent the glass plate 2| for eliminating clogging or bunching of the cigarettes 24 immediately adjacent the discharge position for the cigarettes. The bar 23 tends to displace the cigarettes 24 out of stacked position immediately against the rear of the glass plate 2|, thereby insuring the rolling of the cigarettes one upon another to discharged position in arrangements illustrated, for example, at 24', 24" and 24"'. Discharge of a selected cigarette 24', into the longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25 in the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is thus facilitated. The angularly shiftable carrier 26 is pivotaly mounted at 21 within the cabinet housing or casing I. The pivotal mounting 21 for the angularly shiftable carrer 26, is constituted by a rod having a headed end 28 tting into a telescopic sleeve-like securing member 29, which receives the end of rod 27 and is so arranged that the mounting of the angularly shiftable carrier 26 may be readily disassembled or repair of the carrier parts, should that be necessary.

The angularly shiftable carrier 26 has a manually controllable knob 36 thereof, which is readily engageable by the iinger, as illustrated in Fig. 3l for moving the angularly shiftable carrier 26 to a position for discharging the .cigarette 24"'. Slots 3| and 32 are provided in the Iangularly shiftable carrier 26, for the passage of the pivotally mounted lever members 33 and 34, respectively. Each of the lever members 33 and 34 are pivoted on a pivoting rod 35, which is secured at opposite ends in downwardly projecting lugs 36 and 31, formed intricately with the material of the angularly shiftable carrier 26. A spacing sleeve 38 extends over the pivoting rod 35 between the lever members 33 and 34, thereby maintaining the lever members 33 and 34 in alignment with the slots 3| and 32. The lever members 33 `and 34 are each provided with recesses 33a and 34a, which receive the selected cigarette 24 and elevate the cigarette out of the longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25.

The angularly shiftable carrier 26 has an arm 39 extending therefrom and aligned with an arcuate shaped connecting arm 46, which is pivotally connected at 43 with the depending lug II of the transverse bottom 8. The arcuate shaped connecting arm 40 is slotted, as indicated at 4|, to permit a pivoted and slidable connection at 42 with the arm 39 that extends from the angularly shiftable carreir 26. Thus, a substantial amount of lost motion or play is allowed between the movement of the transversely extending bottom 8 and the movement of the angularly shiftable carrier 26.

The base 2 of the cabinet housing or casing is provided With a bracket 44, which is secured at opposite ends by screws 45 and 46, in a verti- .cally erect position beneath the angularly shiftable carrier 26. The bracket 44 occupies a position in which the lever members 33 and 34 are adapted to engage therewith, when the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is moved to one extreme position, as illustrated in Fig 2. The lower edges of the lever members 33 and 34 are pushed upwardly by engagement with the top of bracket 44, thereby projecting the recessed portions 33a and 34a through vthe slots 3| and-32, respectively,

and elevating the cigarette 24"', resting in the longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25, to a position in which the cigarette may be readily grasped by the ngers. When the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is returned to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, for receiving successive cigarettes, the lever members 33 and 34 gravitate downwardly to a position in which the recesses 33al and 34a therein aligned with the longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25, limited by the abutment of the shaped ends 33o and 34h, and lever members 33 and 34, with the under surface of the angularly shiftable carrier 26. Thus, the lever members 33 and 34 have limited angular movement, limited on the one hand by abutting edges 33h and 342) and on the other hand by slidable contact with bracket 44 for elevating the cigarette from the longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25, in the angularly shiftable carrier 26.

rIhe top of the hinged cover 3 of the cabinet housing or casing carries a depending humidier frame 41 thereon. Notches 48 are struck inwardly in the sides of the humidier frame 41, for receiving resilient iinger members 5| of the perforated cover 50 of the humidier. A multiplicity of layers of absorbent material 49 are contained within the humidier frame 41 and sullciently saturated with moisture to permit the atmosphere in the compartment or storage chamber in which the cigarettes are stored to remain sufciently moist to insure the maintenance of the preservation of the cigarettes in good condition.

The cabinet housing or casing I has a contour somewhat simulating a cash register with a curved lfront portion 52, apertured at 53, behind which the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is adapted to be angularly shifted in position. The curved front portion 52 and aperture 53 therein, are so proportioned with respect to the angularly shiftable carrier 26 that one extreme edge of the angularly shiftable carrier 26 extends beyond the transversely extending guide bar I6, and presents a surface upon which the cigarette 24" may roll or slide, as the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is moved rearwardly from the limiting position illustrated in Fig. 2. The limiting position shown in Fig. 2 is governed by abutment of the edge of the angularly shiftable carrier 26, with the lug 5, or by abutment of controllable knob 3l), with the edge of the curved front portion 52 of the cabinet housing or casing at the extremity of aperture 53 or by abutment of lever members 33 and 34 with the bracket 44 at the lower edges thereof, and by abutment of the upper edges, lever members 33 and 34 with the limits of the slots 3| and 32 in the angularly shiftable carrier 26. As the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is moved to a position in which longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25 therein, is aligned with the passage between upturned edge 20 of the front frame I9 andthe transversely extending guide bar I6, a cigarette 24 drops into the longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25. The length of the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is such that aperture 53 is maintained closed.

In order to remove particles of tobacco which may drop from the cigarettes, I provide `a cleanout slot or opening'54 in the rear of the cabinet housing or casing I, through which the particles of tobacco may be shaken for removal from time to time.

AIn the operation of the cigarette dispenser of my invention, the cigarettes are normally stored in the humidied atmosphere of the cabinet housing or casing I, and rest upon the transversely extending bottom 8. Fig. 3 illustrates the position of the transversely extending bottom 8, after a cigarette has been delivered to the longitudinally extending recess or pocket 25. As the angularly shiftable carrier 28 is moved by application of force from the nger upon controllable knob 3U, the transversely extending bottom 8 is tilted to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, by coaction of the arcuate shaped connecting arm 40 with arm 39, which extends therefrom through the lost motion pivot connection constituted by slot 4I and pivot 42. Thus, limited tilted movement of the transversely extending bottom 8 is effected through an angle somewhat less than degrees, while the angularly shiftable carrier 26 moves through an angle of approximately 30 degrees. In other words, there is a ratio o-f movement of about two to one of the angularly shiftable carrier 26, as compared to the movement of the transversely extending bottom 8. The movement o-f the transversely extending bottom 8 occurs adjacent the extreme limits of movement of the angularly shiftable carrier 2E, that is, at the time that the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is receiving a cigarette 24" and at the time the angularly shiftable carrier 26 is delivering the cigarette. Intermediate those times, the transversely extending bottom 8 remains in the position to which it is shifted at the limits of movement of the angularly shiftable carrier 28.

Throughout the specification and claims, wherever I have referred to cigarettes, I recognize that the structure of my invention is applicable to the merchandizing or selection and delivery of various slender cylindrical articles, such as, cigars, pencils, pens, orange sticks, or rods of any description, and where I refer to cigarettes in the claims, I do not intend to exclude the use of the structure of my invention for similar slender articles.

While I have described my invention in one of its preferred embodiments, I desire that it be understood that modifications may be made and that no limitations upon my invention are inv tended except as are imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, means for pivotally mounting said shelf for limited tilting movement for facilitating delivery of cigarettes stacked thereon, an angularly movable selector mechanism pivotally mounted in said lower compartment, a recess in said selector mechanism alignable with the tilting edge of said shelf for receiving a cigarette therefrom, and means for elevating said cigarette out of said recess as said selector mechanism is angularly moved for facilitating the picking up of the cigarette.

2. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, a longitudinal passage for individual cigarettes adjacent one edge of said shelf intermediate said upper and lower compartments, an angularly shiftable carrier disposed in said lower compartment and extending beneath the passage between said upper and lower compartment, a pocket recess in said carrier for receiving the cigarette which passes through said passage, means for angularly moving said angularly shiftable carrier, and means for elevating the selected cigarette out of the pocket in said angularly shiftable carrier.

3. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, a `1ongitudinal passage for individual cigarettes adjacent one edge of said shelf intermediate said upper and lower compartments, an angularly shiftable carrier disposed in said lower compartment and extending beneath the passage between said upper and lower compartment, a pocket recess in said carrier for receiving the cigarette which passes through said passage, means for angularly moving said angularly shiftable carrier, means for elevating the selected cigarette out of the pocket in said angularly shiftable carrier com.- prising a pair of lever members projectible through slots in said recess, and means for elevating said lever members progressively as said angularly shiftable carrier is moved for raising the cigarette from the recess to pick-up position.

4. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, means for pivotally moun-ting said shelf for limiting tilting movement for facilitating delivery of cigarettes stacked thereon, an angularly movable selector mechanism pivotally mounted in said lower compartment, a recess in said selector mechanism alignable with the tilting edge of said shelf for receiving a cigarette therefrom, means for elevating said cigarette out of said recess as said selector mechanism is angularly moved for facilitating the picking up of the cigarette, and a lost motion connection between said angularly movable selector mechanism and said shelf for effecting tilting movement of said shelf at approximately the limits of movement of said angularly movable selector mechanism.

5. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, means for pivotally mounting said shelf for limited til-ting movement for facilitating delivery of cigarettes stacked thereon, an angularly movable selector mechanism pivotally mounted in said lower compartment, a recess in said selector mechanism alignable with the tilting edge of said shelf for receiving a cigarette therefrom, means for elevating said cigarette out of said recess as said selector mechanism is angularly moved for facilitating the picking up of the cigarette, and means restricting the movement of said shelf through an angular distance approximately one-half the angular distance through which said angularly movable selector mechanism travels.

6. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, means for pivotally mounting said shelf for limited tilting movement for facilitating delivery of cigarettes stacked thereon, an angularly movable selector mechanism pivotally mounted in said lower compartment, a recess in said selector mechanism alignable with the tilting edge of said shelf for receiving a cigarette therefrom, and a pair of lever members projectible through slots in the recess in said selector mechanism for elevating the cigarette out of the recess progressively as the selector mechanism is angularly moved for facilitating the picking up of the cigarette.

7. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, means for pivotally mounting said shelf for limited tilting movement for facilitating delivery of cigarettes stacked thereon, an angularly movable selector mechanism pivotally moun-ted in said lower compartment, a recess in said selector mechanism alignable with the tilting edge of said shelf for receiving a cigarette therefrom, and a rod member extending transversely of said casing substantially above said shelf and above the position occupied by the recess in said selector mechanism when the recess is aligned with the tilting edge of the shelf for guiding the cigarettes into delivery position towards the recess and substantially eliminating packing of the cigarettes immediately above the recess.

8. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments means for pivotally mounting said shelf for limited tilting movement for facilitating delivery of cigarettes stacked thereon, an angularly movable selector mechanism pivotally mounted in said lower compartment, a recess in said selector mechanism alignable with the tilting edge of said shelf for receiving a cigarette therefrom, and a pair of lever members pivotally mounted with respect to said angularly movable selector mechanism and projectible through slots in said recess, means for limiting the movement of said lever members from a position fully within said angularly movable selector mechanism progressively to a position outside of said angularly movable selector mechanism for elevating the selected cigarette out of the recess in said angularly movable selector mechanism as the angularly movable selector mechanism is angularly shifted for facilitating the picking up of the cigarette.

9. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, means for pivotally mounting said shelf for limited tilting movement for facilitating delivery of cigarettes stacked thereon, a member extending transversely of said casing and spaced from the front wall of said casing for a distance defining the longitudinal passage for a cigarette, said member being recessed along the length thereof, a skirt portion on the edge of said shelf movable into the recessed portion of said member and forming a limiting abutment for the movement of said shelf, and an angularly movable selector mechanism pivotally mounted in said lower compartment and adapted to receive individual cigarettes delivered from said shelf for transfer to a delivery position exteriorly of said casing.

10. A cigarette dispenser comprising a casing, a transversely extending shelf dividing said casing into upper and lower compartment, a longitudinal passage for individual cigarettes adjacent one edge of said shelf intermediate said upper and lower compartments, an angularly shiftable carrier disposed in said lower compartment and extending beneath the passage between said upper and lower compartment, a pocket recess in said carrier for receiving the cigarette which passes through said passage, means for angularly moving said angularly shiftable carrier, means for elevating the selected cigarette out of the pocket in said angularly shiftable carrier comprising a pair of lever members projectible through slots in said recess, and a horizontally extending bridge engageable with said pair of lever -members for elevating said lever members progressively through the slots in said recess as the angularly shiftable carrier is moved for raising the cigarette from the recess to pick-up position.

CLARENCE W. BURGER. 

